


B99 Prompts and Requests

by j_stolirazzz



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Angst, Biphobia, Bisexual Jake Peralta, Captain Holt is a dad, Coming Out, Episode: s05e20 Show Me Going, F/M, Fluff, Gina Linetti Being Gina Linetti, Hurt Jake Peralta, Jake Peralta Loves Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta is Bad at Feelings, Jake addicted to meth, Jealous Amy, M/M, More tags once I actually get prompts lol, Roger Peralta's A+ Parenting, Young Gina Linetti & Jake Peralta, beef ramen, but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_stolirazzz/pseuds/j_stolirazzz
Summary: Hi!!Send me requests so I have an excuse to write a bunch of b99 fluff and angst!!Ch 1 - Intro.Ch 2 - Five Times Holt, Kevin, and Jake Supported Each other + 1 More Time Because I Said So (3k)Ch 3 - Ramen and Romero pt. 1 (1k)Ch 4 - Bi The Way... (2k)Ch 5 - The People You Come Back To (1k)Ch 6 - Little Moments (1.2k)
Relationships: Charles Boyle & Jake Peralta, Gina Linetti & Jake Peralta, Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago, Kevin Cozner & Jake Peralta, Past Jake Peralta/OC, Ray Holt & Jake Peralta, Rosa Diaz & Jake Peralta, Terry Jeffords & Jake Peralta
Comments: 54
Kudos: 199





	1. Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this intro makes me sound twelve, but i promise i'm not

Hi!!

I’m j_stolirazzz and I’ve been obsessed w/ b99 for a while now (and I’m in love with andy samberg) so send me some requests and I’ll write the ones I like. Keep in mind, I’m biased towards Jake, sorry.

Only things I won’t do:

\- Any Jake/Holt. Ew  
\- Rape. Don’t think I can tackle a subject that serious correctly. I wouldn’t do it justice  
\- Trans!Jake (or anyone). Again, I don’t know enough to do that topic justice.  
\- Rosa/Amy. I love Jake/Amy too much

This is all off the top of my head, so if anything else comes up I’ll add it^^

Things I’d love to write about:

\- anything prison Jake related  
\- jake’s dad  
\- Kevin and holt doing anything  
\- Rosa and her parents  
\- DOUG JUDYY  
\- Etc etc etcc

(Once again, off the top of my head)

That’s all from me for now, send in the prompts!

Thank you <3


	2. Five Times Holt, Kevin, and Jake Supported Each other + 1 More Time Because I Said So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "At this, Jake and he made eye contact and a wave of understanding passed between them. The conversation was serious and the air was heavy, but they smiled at each other regardless. 
> 
> It hurts more when you aren’t enough for them to change."
> 
> Based off Jessy's prompt "Hey, I'd love Kevin and Holt helping Jake out over an emotional problem or something? :)" Which turned into them all supporting each other, which turned into (technically) a 5+1 fic. It's angst and fluff regarding and probably way longer than Jessy expected.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a little longer than I expected. I didn't predict to get prompts right away, and I definitely didn't mean to make this so long, but here we are. I ended up having to write half of this on my phone because I was on vacation, so if there is grammar issues I apologize.
> 
> <3

**1 - Oolong Slayer**

When Jake finally found him, Holt was sitting stiffly on a park bench, Cheddar obediently by his feet. He was staring off into space, mind wandering as he absentmindedly watched New York traffic pass him by. Jake was no genius, but even he could guess what Holt was thinking. With a smirk, Jake plopped onto the bench next to him and didn't say a word. Finally, Holt acknowledged him. 

“Look, Peralta, I know you are attempting to assist me, but I would appreciate solitude more right now.” Jake nodded, pretending like he was listening, but stayed seated, his smirk growing. 

“You know,” Jake started, a mysterious smile on his face, ”I thought you’d be celebrating by now.”

“Peralta, what-“ Holt tried, but Jake just kept talking. 

“I mean, I’d assumed becoming Captain would be huge news, but maybe to robots it’s just NBD.” He said, leaning back in the park bench, feigning a casual pose as his uncharastically serious eyes locked with Holt’s.

“I don’t understand…”

“NBD, no big deal, come on keep up.”

“Jake.” Holt reprimanded sharply. Jake simply rolled his eyes. 

“Well, it’s a funny story actually. You remember the serial killer we caught?”

“The case from two days ago? One of the biggest cases in your career? The arrest of the Oolong slayer, someone who has evaded talented detectives for years? The last real case I’ll ever work? Yes, funnily enough I remember that, Peralta.” 

“Good. ‘Cause I went to talk to Chief Goblin-“

“Garmin” Holt, corrected immediately. 

“Gremlin, whatever,” Jake continued, while Holt just sighed, “And it turns out that he  _ happened _ to solve the case at the same time. He was there for the arrest and everything, somehow we must’ve missed him. Some detectives we are, honestly.” Holt opened his mouth to interrupt, a strange expression on his face, but Jake was on a role. 

“So, he decided to take sole credit for it, since he did most of the work anyway and we simply didn’t notice him. Out of pity for me and all the time I wasted, however, he decided to bring you back as captain of the 99th precinct.” Jake finished, a blinding smile on his face. Holt stared at him, a shocked expression on his face. Or, as shocked of an expression the Captain can get. 

“Jake…” Holt trailed off, trying to find the words. “This case was your dream…?”

“And being captain is yours,” he replied simply, as if it was as easy as that. And to Jake, Holt reflected, maybe it was. 

“And besides,” Jake continued, “the 99 isn’t the same without you. We need you.” A pause. “I need you.”

“Peralta, I am unsure how to thank you properly.” Jake smiled and shook his head. 

“None of that, sir. We’re family at the 99, we’ve got each others’ backs.”

Holt meets his eyes and nods meaningfully, which Jake returns, grinning. With one last look, Jake gets up, leaving Holt on the bench, a small smile now adorning the Captain’s face. Peralta, Holt reflected, would never stop surprising him. And maybe, he thought as he watched Jake calmly walk away, that was a good thing. 

**2 - Post Prison**

The first time Peralta and he discussed prison, Holt saw it coming. They were all at Shaws and it was the first time since Jake had been released from prison that Amy wasn’t attached to his hip. And that was only because she was now fussing over Rosa. Approaching Jake, Holt gestured to the seat next to him.

“May I join you?” Peralta looked up from where he’d been staring thoughtfully at his drink and nodded. Holt ordered a whiskey and took a moment to simply sit with Peralta. _A_ _free man_.

“How have you been, Peralta? I hear the transition can be challenging?” Jake took a deep breath and leaned back in thought.

“It’s- it’s hard to describe. I mean honestly, it’s like a whole different world in there. I have to constantly remind myself I don’t need to have my guard up, I don’t have to be ready for a bea- for a confrontation. It’s… difficult.”

“I see,” was all Holt replied, struggling to maintain his stone facade. The implications of Peralta’s anxiety floating throughout his head.

“It helps that I was innocent. But it got…  _ dark _ in there.”

“I am sorry you had to go through that.” Jake nodded his head in thanks, “And I am especially sorry I didn’t visit.” And at this, Jake flinched. He looked down at his drink and didn’t respond for a moment. Then simply,

“Why?”

“Truthfully, a few reasons. First off, the squad tried to evenly visit both you and Rosa so we split who went where. Secondly, with trying to balance Captain and solve your case on the side, the drive to North Carolina was quite impossible.”

“That’s fair,” Peralta replied slowly, as if he wasn’t sure he completely understood, or as if he didn’t think it was. So, Holt continued.

“I felt you would better appreciate me attempting to free you more than me taking the time to visit you. If it makes you feel better, I desperately wanted to. And I never stopped worrying about you and Rosa.”

“I- it’s okay, I forgive you, I get it,” he said, a smile on his face. “But just so you know, I’d never object to seeing you. Especially when I’m at a low point.” Holt smiled at him.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” A pause. “And just so you know,” Holy continued, parroting Jake’s words back at him, “I am proud of you. For making it through that, and for being so strong.”

They smile at each other, Holt gracefully not commenting on Jake’s suspiciously wet eyes, and go back to their drinks, simply enjoying the other’s company and basking in the quiet moments. 

The second time Peralta and he discussed prison, Holt admits, was unforeseen. The last thing Holt expected on his quiet Tuesday evening was for Jake to burst into his office in a panicked frenzy. But yet here Jake was, standing before him, hands shaking and eyes wild. 

“Peralta, what-“

“Sir,” Jake interrupted, “I think I might be addicted to meth.” And the moment the words left Jake’s mouth, they both froze. Jake, in surprise that he actually admitted  _ that _ , and Holt desperately trying to unpack the weight that came with a statement like  _ that  _ out of the blue. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Uhhh” he explained, eloquently. A Peralta special. 

“Explain, please.” Holt was tense, his body language revealing nothing to Jake. 

“Okay so, no biggie, but in prison,” they both winced, “I may have accidentally taken a lot of meth. And you know, I was feeling pretty low,  _ in prison and all, _ so it was… not the worst thing at the time…” He cringed at his own explanation, while Holt just continued to stare. 

“So you enjoyed the high?” Jake winced again, but then nodded. 

“But maybe too much because since then I’ve kinda sorta thoughtaboutdoingmoreofit maybe.” 

“What?”

“But only like three times, I swear,” Peralta rushes to add on, acting frantic again. “And they’re just fleeting thoughts, I’m not some crazy addict. Not that addicts are crazy! It’s a medical condition and should be treated as such, but I don’t have it. ‘Cause I’m not an addict. Not that it would be bad if I was one, because addicts are people too, but I don’t wanna be one. And-“ 

“Peralta.” Holt said, extending a hand out to thoroughly cut off his detectives incessant rambling. “If I understood that word vomit correctly, you have thought about doing it again? More than once?” He asked the question slowly, understandingly, but Jake still looked to the ground in shame as he nodded his head ‘yes.’ Suddenly, Holt’s chest felt tight. 

“Have a seat.” He requested as calmly as he could, waiting the few tense moments Jake took to sit. 

“First of all, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Due to the addictive nature of the drug, it is completely natural for your mind to react this way after exposure.” At this, Jake nodded again, his eyes shifting to the left indicating how much he truly believed that statement. 

“And second of all, I think you should see someone about this.” Immediately Jake’s head shot up in protest. Before he could say anything, however, Holt continued. “As you said yourself, it’s a medical condition and you will need some professional help to officially get over it. I am glad you told me, and I will be monitoring and supporting you. That being said, I am not qualified to resolve this issue in its entirety.” A pause. 

“...okay. But only for the drugs, I don’t need a therapist for anything else.”

“I disagree,” he replied slowly, sighing at Jake’s immediate protest, “but all your issues are technically none of my business.”

“Yeah,” Jake laughed a little to himself, “I got  _ stuff _ .” 

“Regardless, I have your back.” He replied, the expression sounding odd coming out of his mouth. Jake’s eyes widened a hair, and then he smiled gratefully at his Captain.  _ At least some things will never change _ . 

**3 - Murphy, my fault**

They were once again lounging on the couch, hidden from all windows, still stuck in the safe house, still watching Nick Cage movies. To say Kevin was irritated would be an understatement, and it showed. He sat stiffly, sighed every few minutes, and was uncharacteristically quiet. It was when the credits were rolling that Jake finally spoke up.

“Look, I’m really sorry we’re in this mess. I know it’s none of my business, but don’t take it out on Holt, it was my fault.” Kevin raised his eyebrows sharply.

“How so?”

“We’re only involved with Murphy because I was stupid enough to get myself in prison, and drag Rosa down with me. Holt did what he had to do, but only because I was an idiot in the first place.” At this, Kevin turned to look at him. 

“Peralta-”

“Oh, and then I involved Kyle, like an idiot. And now we’re here, and you're getting a divorce. Cool.”

“I’m not getting a divorce,” Kevin sighed, which at least made Peralta perk up.

“Okay good, I think I would’ve cried on the spot if you hadn’t denied it.” A pause, as they both sat there and silence and absentmindedly watched the credits roll on the screen.

“You know something? Captain Holt actually saved my life that day. When he finally caught Hawkins.” Kevin titled his head in confusion.

“Explain.”

“Well, the warden had forced me into being a snitch and put me in a tight spot,” Kevin’s frown deepened. “I had successfully used detective work to figure out where Romero hid the meth, and since I was never told, I thought I’d never be caught as the snitch.”

“Smart,” Kevin interrupted, and Jake blushed a little.

“It happens every once in a while,” and they both smile. Then Jake continues, “However, the same night I told the warden, Romero told me. And, once he was busted, the clock was running. I almost got shanked in the courtyard and was only minutes away from being killed when the guard informed me I was released.”

“So you were incredibly close too…?”

“Yeah… And I never thanked Holt for that. And now look what has come of it, I put you in danger. You’re stuck in a safe house, miserable. I’m sorry.” And there was so much to unpack there, but Kevin focused on the most important aspect.

“Honestly, you can’t think all of that was your fault?”

‘Well-” Jake tried, but Kevin wasn’t having any of his shit.

“No, look, Per- Jake. You know your life has value too? And that the choices the people around you make is not your fault, but that it’s simply because they care about you?” Jake looked down, suddenly insecure.

“Logically, I know that. But it’s just…” He trailed off, his face red. Going quiet until Kevin motioned for him to continue. “I hate that I can’t get over it, but sometimes I still just feel like that kid who wasn’t enough for people to stay.”

“Trust me, you are. My husband cares about you, more than he will admit,” Jake blushed again, “and I’ve observed many at the precinct feel the same. Anyone who has left, especially your father, did so though no fault of your own.”

“I know I didn’t make him leave but…. I didn’t make him stay either, and honestly? That hurts just a bit more.” There’s a heavy silence as they reflect on Jake’s words. 

“You know, since it’s a night of confessions for me, I might as well drop this bomb on you.” Jake continued.

“Yes, you might as well.”

“My mom actually left once too. It wasn’t for long, and she came back. But, for a week she chose one of her random boyfriends over me.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah… She came back, and she always tried her best to raise me alone. But that always stuck with me, and I always knew a part of her regretted coming back. Even now.”

“My parents,” Kevin started, hesitantly, “were fine while I was growing up, until they found out I was gay. We haven’t spoken in a while, and I know it’s their fault that they’re close minded, but you’re right. It hurts more when you aren’t enough for them to change.” At this, Jake and he made eye contact and a wave of understanding passed between them. The conversation was serious and the air was heavy, but they smiled at each other regardless. 

_ It hurts more when you aren’t enough for them to change. _

**4 - Jake? A Dad!? He could never…?**

Holt happened to find him outside one day. He had simply been looking for fresh air when he stumbled upon Paralta, staring at New York as if it could answer all his questions if he looked hard enough.

“Peralta?” With a jolt, Jake turned to look at him.

“Captain! Didn’t see you there. I was just thinking, don’t mind me.”

“I can see that,” he replied, ignoring the second part. “May I ask what’s so important that you’re risking injury and actually using your brain?” Holt attempted to joke, and was rewarded with a small laugh.

“Good one, sir. I was just thinking about something Amy said during the heist.”

“The heist?” he asked incredulously, trying to see how Jake’s mood could relate to any of the ridiculousness that happens during that.

“Yeah, uh when she was trying to distract me, she pretended that she was pregnant.”

“Oh.”

“Uh huh. I’m not mad or anything, I just can’t stop thinking about it. I think I want to be a father but…” Jake trailed off. 

“But?”

“I… I don’t know if I can do it. I mean I know first hand what happens when a father screws up, I could never do that to another kid!” Despite Peralta’s words, Holt smiled.

“And there you go.”

“What?”

“Well,” Holt explained, “you just said it yourself. ‘I could never do that to another kid.’ Therefore, you won’t.”

“Wha-” Jake sputtered, “That’s not how I meant it.” Holt raised an eyebrow. “I- Well of course I wouldn’t want to, but what if I accidentally-”

“Stop.” Jake’s jaw clicked shut. “You will mess up as a parent, it’s inevitable. However, the difference between you and all the bad parents in the world is that you truly want to be a good parent. For your kid’s sake, not yours. That is why I think you’ll be an excellent parent, if you and Santiago choose to pursue that.”

“Sir…?” Jake breathed, speechless. Satisfied, Holt turned to head inside. But not without calling over his shoulder,

“Tick, tick, your lunch break is almost up.” The resulting smile on Peralta's face was worth it.

**5 - Roger left for the 69th time**

The second Jake knocked on their door, he regretted it. With a shake of his head he started to turn around and head home, but the door was already opening and Kevin already spotted him.

“Jake?” With a sigh, the man in question hesitantly spun around, a fake smile adorning his features. 

“Heyyyyy Kevin,” he said, clearly uncomfortable. “Sorry for bothering you, but I actually have to go now so… bye!” And with that, he started to back up, but paused when Kevin called out his name again.

“Peralta.” Jake froze, “What are you doing here? And what is that in your hand?”

“Oh, this old thang?” he replied, holding up a DVD case, “Nothing.”

“Well, alright, let me see it then.” A pause.

“Yeah, yup, yes you can totally have it. No, it’s cool, here you go.” And he jerkily walks over and hands it to Kevin, face red.

“Captain Corelli's Mandolin?”

“Yup, how random, huh?” Jake went to snatch it back, but Kevin pulled it away. “Anyway, I really have to go-”

“Peralta, you must’ve come here for a reason.” At this, Jake looked down and started fidgeting.

“Look, I don’t know. I was on a walk, thinking, and I just happened to end up here.” His eyes flicked to the DVD, “I wasn’t really paying attention, I guess.”

“Right,” Kevin replied slowly, “What were you thinking about, if I may ask?” Jake looked away for a moment, then looked back at Kevin.

“Just a phone call I received,” he replied vaguely, and by god, Kevin thought, if sometimes talking to Paralta was like pulling teeth.

“Regarding?” Another pause. 

“It was from my mom. Apparently, while we were in the safe house, my dad left my mom again.”

“Oh.”

“Uh, yeah,” and here, Jake switched to a ridiculous accent, “which really bummed me out.” Kevin looked at Jake for a moment, before sighing again and moving out of the doorway.

“Well then, come in.”

“What, no I don’t wanna-”

“You’re already here, Raymond is out for the night, and I have no plans besides reading. So, you may enter.”

“Uh, alright. Thank you,” Jake said, and Kevin simply nodded. 

“One last question. Why the DVD?” At this, Jake once again blushed.

“Well, it's one of the Nick Cage movies we never got to watch, the one with the mandolin. I thought I might need an excuse to be here, but then I was just embarrassed about it.”

“Another Nick Cage movie?” He said wearily, though sounding more fond than annoyed. Jake smiled knowingly.

“I keep telling you he’s got range.”

“Well, alright then.” And with that, Kevin went to put it in his DVD player.

And if half way through the movie Kevin and Jake talked once more about their fathers, well no one but them would know.

  
  


**\+ 1 Mac**

It was Holt’s turn to enter the hospital room. Charles, Gina and Rosa had already been in, and still wouldn’t stop gushing about the newest Peralta, Mac. What did the world do to deserve another Peralta, Holt thought fondly. Hesitantly, he stepped in the room.

“Captain,” Jake greeted, his face lighting up. “Meet once again, McClane ‘Mac’ Peralta.” Holt walked over and peered down at the child in Jake’s arms, briefly smiling at a sleeping Amy.

“She’s beautiful, Peralta. You must be incredibly happy.”

“It’s the best day of my life,” he replied immediately, as if he didn’t even have to think about it. “Oh, and Amy fell asleep a few minutes ago. Apparently giving birth is exhausting, who knew.” They both chuckled quietly, hyper aware of the sleeping mother and calm newborn. 

“Would you like to hold her?” Holt smiled.

“I’d be honored.” And so he gently took Mac from her father, a soft smile adorning his face. He looked at the baby in his hand, who looked so much like her parents and yet not at all at the same time, and he almost wanted to laugh. His chest felt tight as he looked at Peralta’s child, and he knew that he somehow already loved her. The same way he loved her parents. The sudden emotion was slightly overwhelming.

“Say hi to your Grandpa, Mac” Peralta joked, continuing the running gag of Jake calling him his father. But, as he made eye contact with Peralta, maybe it wasn’t all a joke. And maybe he’ll be the best grandfather this child could have. After all, he’s family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, keep it up with the prompts!!
> 
> <3, stolirazzz
> 
> PS. Holt uses a contraction once, and it's when he's lying. Did u spot it?


	3. Ramen and Romero pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe not everything from prison is in the past, maybe he should open up about things that happened, and maybe he shouldn't hide the fact that someone from there definitely wants to kill him... but he doesn't. Because he's fine. He really is. And yet...
> 
> "The email had no subject, and honestly Jake was a minute away from writing it off as spam, but he clicked on it regardless. Then he froze. His chest suddenly tight, he read the single sentence the email contained. 
> 
> “This was a cake walk compared to what I’ll do to you, Beef Baby…”"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off the prompts "I'd love to see... more about the squad finding out what jake went through in prison" by peraltxsmalec and "Someone that hurt Jake from prison is released and is caught for something and taken to the 99 and starts to taunt Jake in front of the squad and the squad becomes very protective of him." by Holly. Though the second one will probably be more featured in pt 2.
> 
> Sorry for the wait, was a little busy. Ignore grammar, I'm so lazy about that lol. Enjoy! <3

It was a typical Tuesday afternoon when Jake got the email. He and Amy had a  _ great _ time the night before, he woke up to a cup of coffee, and he was only a minute late to work. He had no spectacular cases and was looking forward to a calm day of slacking off on paperwork. He even had an extra bag of sour gummies for the occasion. And then came the email.

It had no subject, and honestly Jake was a minute away from writing it off as spam, but he clicked on it regardless. Then he froze. His chest suddenly tight, he read the single sentence the email contained. 

_ “This was a cake walk compared to what I’ll do to you, Beef Baby…” _

And attached was a grainy video, clearly security footage. He glanced around to see if anyone could see his computer, then hesitantly hit play. Immediately, he knew what it was. It had been after his stunt in solitude and he still hadn’t quite recovered. According to the guard, he was walking back to his cell too slow. He winced as he watched the guard in the video take advantage of that and tase him to the ground. Phantom pains ran throughout his body as he watched the beating he had taken that day, his cries echoing in his ears despite the muted video. He didn’t even realize he wasn’t breathing until Charles called his name from his desk across the bullpen.

“Jake?” He jumped, taking a sharp breath in, and hastily closing the tab.

“Charles!” he cleared his throat, “Um, yeah?” Charles looked at him strangely and Jake desperately tried to rearrange his facial features into something less suspicious. 

“Nothing,” he said slowly. “It just looked like you were playing too much attention to paperwork.”

“Oh, ha yeah, thanks for the save.” Jake’s fake smile grew wider and, to stop himself from fidgeting, he reached into his drawer for his sour worms. Lifesavers. “I think it’s time for a candy break.” Charles studied him for a second, then shrugged and asked for a red one. Jake gave him a handful.

~*~

One by one, the bullpen realized something was off with Jake. Their suspicions started with a handful of gummies and ended with beef ramen.

Charles had noticed Jake was in his own head, it’s why he got his attention, and throughout their conversation his self named ‘Jakey Sense” kept going off. But he didn’t think anything was off until Jake gave him a handful of gummies. The gummies he never shares. Jake who, on many occasions, has complained because, ‘a handful is half the bag!’ Something was up.

Amy had been working a case with Rosa until their lead fell through, sending them back to the precinct. Dejectedly, she walked to her desk ready to rant to Jake, but the sight of him made her stop short. His hand was in his bag of candy, but he wasn’t actually eating it as he stared through his blank computer screen. She didn’t know what, but something big happened…

Rosa noticed through Amy, Terry observed it all on his own, and then once word was out everyone was observing Jake. His jerky movements as he tried to act normal, his attempts to stay in the moment, his obvious lying and multiple strings of “cool, cool, cool, cool” throughout the day. But he continues to insist he’s fine. Because he is.

_ He’s fine. _

~*~

He’s still  _ fine _ three days later. He and Boyle were working a case, they had leads and everything, and life was normal. If Jake was jumpy and constantly checking his email well… he doesn’t think anyone’s noticed. It’s when he’s over at his desk talking to Amy that the delivery man enters the bullpen. 

“Jake Peralta?” He reads off his clipboard. 

“Yeah that’s me,” he responds, walking over to the man. The man gives him the clipboard to sign, which he does, then hands over the package. He gives Jake a nod, then leaves. And nothing about that was suspicious, yet he still feels like there’s a rock settling at the bottom of his stomach. He turns to the precinct, his goofy and dramatic smile plastered on his face.

“I don’t remember ordering anything, so let’s see what’s in the mystery box.” He rubs his hands excitedly. “Okay, guess what’s in it, go!” He points to Amy, who rolls her eyes.

“Something Die Hard related that you ordered drunk,” she deadpans.

“A hand held massager.” Gina guesses.

“A cool knife.” Everyone turns to look at Rosa questioningly, but she just shrugs.

“No,” Holt pipes in, coming towards the desk from his office, “it is obviously a collection of Peralta’s ridiculous sweets.”

“Ordered online?” Charles asks.

“Maybe drunk Peralta likes exotic candy.” And at that, they all nod in agreement and chuckle, but Jake shoots his hands up in protest.

“Why do you guys think I was drunk?!” Silence… “Alright, that’s fair, let’s open her up.” He grabs his keys and stabs along the top of the box, opening it to reveal dozens of cases of Ramen. 

Beef flavored Ramen.

Vaguely Jake hears himself mutter “oh shit,” as he stares frozen at the box. Amy and Gina groan that their guesses were wrong, Charles and Terry laugh at what they think is drunk Peralta’s thought process, but Holt is studying Peralta. Peralta, who doesn’t notice anything past the blood rushing in his ears and the Beef Ramen. His breathing has sped up slightly, and he can feel his hands shake where they’re clenched on the table. He swallows, trying to control his reaction, and tears his eyes away from the box. 

“Peralta?” Jake looks up at his name, but has a sinking feeling it wasn’t the first time Holt has said it. He clears his throat and tries to smile.

“Lunch is on me, I guess.” And he reached in and grabbed a few of the Ramen packets, hoping desperately his trembling hands weren't obvious. Then Amy gasps, backing away from the box, and Charles’s eyes widen. He looks at them confused, then back at the box and drops the Ramen in shock, eyes wide.

There’s a hand amongst the Ramen.

  
“Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, a hand, no doubt…” Everyone looks at him like he’s crazy, but he’s not really paying attention. Maybe everything’s _not_ _fine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you!! I don't 100% like this one, but I'm sure pt 2 will be better. Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a request!
> 
> <3 stoli


	4. Bi The Way...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosa sat straight up in alarm, paused, and hit Jake’s shoulder hard.
> 
> “Rosa? What-”
> 
> "“Dude, look at that guy straight ahead.” Jake and the rest of the squad looked at her funny, but out of curiosity they all turned.
> 
> “Not all at once, Jesus,” Rosa hissed to the rest of the table, but Jake didn’t listen. He froze, taking in the sight of Kyle, the Kyle, standing just a few feet in front of him. He turned to Rosa.
> 
> “Holy shit,” he intoned.
> 
> “I know,” she replied, equally shocked. He’s had maybe two relationships that lasted as long as him and Kyle, including him and Kyle. Shit"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break, and the fact that this isn't pt2 to Ramen and Romero. Explanation in the end notes.
> 
> This is for the prompt "Can I request a meeting with one of Jake's ex-bfs?" by Mystery0028 and (accidentally) peraltxmalec's prompt "I'd love to see jealous!amy..." 
> 
> Enjoy! <3
> 
> P.S - As much as I'd love to respond to the prompts in the order they came, I realistically can't force myself to write stories I'm not super into. So, I'm sorry if I haven't reached your prompt yet, especially if you were early, but I'm working on it. Thanks for them though, I appreciate it!

He was in the academy when they broke up. He’d been dating Kyle for two years when Kyle had to move to California. They talked about it, they fought about it, but ultimately they both decided that long distance wouldn’t work and… as much as Jake loved him he couldn’t move to California for him. 

The next night, he and Rosa went out for drinks. They sat silently for a while, Rosa shooting him concerned looks as he downed drink after drink, until Jake let out a deep sigh.

“Kyle’s moving to California,” Rosa’s head shot up, “... and I’m not.” She sighed as he looked away in pain.

“Oh. I’m sorry, man. Are you gonna try long-”

“No,” he cuts her off. “It wouldn’t be the same.” There’s a long pause, then Rosa slides Jake her drink. He nods at her, then chugs the rest of it. 

“I never asked,” Rosa starts a bit awkwardly, “but are you gay? You’ve hooked up with girls, but that was before Kyle…?” Jake gives her a small smile.

“I don’t really label it, I sorta just go with the flow, you know? I like who I like, shit happens, all that jazz.” She nods and he continues, “But, if I were to pick one, I’d say I’m bi, I guess. I don’t really come out to people, because I don’t really see it like that, like it’s some defining label. And, let’s be honest, straight people don’t have to come out so why should I?”

“True.”

“But yeah, I swing both ways.” Jake fidgets as he finishes his speech, suddenly remembering why he and Rosa drink in silence.

“Thanks for telling me, man.” Jake nods at her and there’s a pause. Not necessarily an uncomfortable one, but Jake still seems a bit on edge nonetheless. She smiles at him.

“That makes my job of getting you ‘post-breakup’ laid a million times easier. Drink up, Peralta, you’ve got a long night ahead of you.” And at that, Jake bursts out laughing and takes a gulp of his beer. Sure, him and Kyle are through, but he’s still got people in his life that support him. That’s enough for the first genuine smile to break out on his face since Kyle left.

And the walk of shame back to his apartment the next morning is totally worth it.

~*~

That was years ago, and yet the script is eerily similar. He’s just broken up with Sofia, and he’s at a bar with Rosa. Well, and Charles, and Amy, and Terry. Officially, they’re here to celebrate whatever the hell they did at the terrorist simulation, but unofficially he’s here to drink away Sofia. The fiery, smart, beautiful, intense, sexy… He sighs into his drink again, cutting off his line of thought. Rosa subtly orders him another one.

He was drowning out their table’s conversation, letting his squad’s words wash over him. He thought he saw Rosa and Amy shooting him concerned looks, but he ignored them. Then, suddenly, Rosa sat straight up in alarm, paused, and hit Jake’s shoulder  _ hard _ .

“Rosa? What-”

“Dude, look at that guy straight ahead.” Jake and the rest of the squad looked at her funny, but out of curiosity they all turned.

“Not all at once,  _ Jesus _ ,” Rosa hissed to the rest of the table, but Jake didn’t listen. He froze, taking in the sight of Kyle,  _ the Kyle _ , standing just a few feet in front of him. He turned to Rosa.

“Holy shit,” he intoned.

“I know,” she replied, equally shocked. He’s had maybe two relationships that lasted as long as him and Kyle,  _ including  _ him and Kyle. This was great, just great. Amy, who was sitting on the other side of the table, turned to look at him.

“Are you guys talking about the cute one? In the blue?” Jake nodded absentmindedly as the rest of the gang turned to look again.

“Who is he?” Terry asked, brows furrowed at Jake’s reaction to this guy. Amy sat up excitedly, and if he wasn’t so distracted it’d have been adorable.

“Is he an ex-criminal? One of Rosa’s exes? An old roommate?” She guessed. Then Charles spoke up.

“Wait, is he one of your old best friends?”

“No,” Jake tried, but Charles cut him off.

“Because, if you haven’t seen him in a long time, then he’s obviously not a very good best friend.” Charles rambles, “Look at him, eating wings, I bet he has horrible taste in food. He’d eat all your candy on you, and then you’d be stuck eating healthy food, which you hate. I know that, I bet he doesn’t. And-”

“Charles!” Jake interrupts, honestly trying not to laugh at his friends jealousy. “He’s not an old best friend, calm down.”

“Oh, thank god,” he sighs, and instantly deflates.

“Okay, we give up then. Who is he?” Amy asks, and Jake pauses. He exchanges a look with Rosa as he awkwardly scratches his neck. 

“Well… he’s actually  _ my _ ex boyfriend.” Charles’s eyes widen, Terry’s eyebrows rise in shock, and Amy looks taken aback. Jake continues to fidget nervously.

“Oh.” Pause. “That actually makes a lot of sense.” Jake looks at Charles, confused, but Rosa nods, seemingly agreeing with his words and they don’t bother to explain. He’s not sure if he should be offended or not, but  _ okay _ . Terry, noticing Jake’s fidgeting, looks exaggeratedly at Kyle, then back at Jake.

“ _ Damn _ , alright Jake.” He says, as if impressed Jake could get with someone that looked like Kyle. Jake laughs softly.

“Yeah, I know right Wayyy out of my league.” They all smile, but Amy is still worryingly silent. At everyone else’s looks, though, he continues explaining.

“We dated for a little over two years, we went to the same college actually.” Charles whistles.

“Wow,” he starts, “you guys were serious.” Amy’s face twists, and Jake turns to Charles to avoid looking at her. To avoid thinking about her reaction. “What happened?” Jake grimaces.

“He had to move to California.” There are nods of understanding as Jake takes another gulp from his drink.

“It’s none of our business, but are you…?” Terry awkwardly trails off, and Jake laughs again.

“I don’t really label it, I sorta just go with the flow, but I identify closest to bisexual.” And then, finally, Amy speaks up. 

“Thanks for trusting us with this,” She says. And the words are nice, but her smile is tight, and Jake feels his heart clench painfully at her fake expression.

“Yeah,”

“We appreciate it,” Everyone else echoes, and Jake smiles at their support… Or at least not open hatred. And then, finally, a comfortable silence settles over the table. Or at least until Amy awkwardly declares she’s going to the bathroom and quickly walks away. Jake stares at the empty seat for a moment, but shakes himself out of it as Rosa starts a random conversation with Charles. Terry giving input every few minutes.

Of course, what he didn’t realize was that when Amy got up, she put him in direct sight of Kyle. Kyle, who hadn’t seen him because Amy was blocking his view. Kyle, who was making his way towards Jake. Who had no idea and was now engaged in Rosa and Charles’s debate.

“Jake Peralta?” A voice behind him asks, and  _ shit. _ He freezes for a moment, then slowly turns around to look at Kyle. Suddenly, the fidgeting is back.

“Hi,” Jake breathes out nervously, and gives him a shaky smile.

“Hey,” Kyle responds simply. And they look at each other for a moment, both radiating anxiety.

“Uh,” Jake starts, “Kyle, this is the rest of my squad. Uh, squad, this is Kyle Vale.” Kyle awkwardly waves.

“Nice to meet you, squad.” They awkwardly acknowledge him and there’s a stilted silence. Then, Amy appears, slowing as she catches sight of Kyle. Jake looks between the two of them, an odd expression on his face.

“Uh, hi.” She says as she sits down. Kyle nods at her, then turns back to Jake.

“So, you said squad… Are you  _ Detective _ Peralta now then?” Jake laughs a little.

“Yeah, sounds much cooler than ‘Officer’ right?”

“Uh hm,” he responds. Then very obviously looks Jake up and down, and continues. “Much  _ cooler.”  _ His tone implying that ‘cooler’ is clearly not the word he’s looking for. Jake turns bright red and pretends not to see Amy pull a face out of the corner of his eye. Taking a deep breath, he stands up.

“Hey, do you uh- do you wanna go catch up? Grab a drink?” He asks, still blushing. Kyle smiles.

“Yeah, sure. Um,” Kyle hesitantly gestures to an open spot on the bar, and Jake nods. Then, he turns to his table.

“Do you guys mind if I-”

“Go!” Rosa interrupts, and Charles frantically motions for him to get going. Rolling his eyes, he does just that and joins Kyle at the bar.

_ Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, he got this…  _

~*~

Amy is ignoring him. Which is cool, it’s fine. Jake’s not concerned, there’s a million reasons she could be ignoring him, it probably has nothing to do with the fact that he came out last night. It’s fine. Everything is so fine, Jake is actually doing his paperwork. It’s all good, he tells himself, as he skips his lunch break to chase a lead he knows is dead. Amy doesn’t hate him now, and his heart isn’t slowly shattering throughout the day.

It’s not, because everything is _ fine. _

But he can’t take this, he has to know what’s up. So, at the end of the day, he follows her to her car. He had taken her keys from her purse earlier, which he acknowledges is creepy and weird, but you know what, so is being biphobic so… And, because he’s a dramatic asshole, he watches her dig through her purse for a minute, before revealing himself.

“Looking for these?” He asks sarcastically, jiggling her keys in the air. She jumps, and turns towards him.

“Jake! What- why do you have my keys?”

“Because,” he replies, dramatically snapping them back into his hand and into his pocket, “we have to talk and I don’t want you running out on me.” She sighs, annoyed.

“Look, Jake-” She starts, but Jake cuts her off.

“Why do you have a problem with me being bi?” And at that, her eyes widen and she looks taken aback. For a brief moment, he wonders if it’s because of his uncharastically serious tone or his bluntness.

“What?”

“You heard me,” he responds evenly. He’s trying so hard not to be mad, not to jump to conclusions, but… 

“Jake, what? I- I don’t have a problem with it.” And, to be fair, she honestly looks confused.

“You were weirdly silent when I came out, fake when you finally did speak, disgusted when Kyle actually came over to the table, and you’ve been ignoring me ever since.” Amy’s silent for a moment.

“Oh.” A long pause. “I didn’t mean to ignore you,” she finally says quietly.

“Okay, but-”

“No, Jake. I promise, I’m perfectly fine that you also date men. If you want to get back with Kyle, then you won’t get any judgement from me.” Once again, the words are sincere, but there was an undertone of bitterness.

“Kyle? What- we’re not getting back together?” And now he’s confused, because what does that have to do with her reaction.

“Oh, so you didn’t sleep with him last night?” She accuses, a small blush on her face. “You’re wearing the same clothes, and you were late this morning.”

“I’m always late!” He protests, then looks down at his outfit, “And, honestly, I didn’t even realize my clothes were the same.” She gives him a skeptical look.

“Oh. Well, I still wouldn’t judge. I honestly don’t care you’re bi.”

“Then what-” But he cuts himself off with a gasp. “You were  _ jealous _ !” He breathes out in shock, masking his suddenly beating heart with humor, because  _ holy shit what- _

“What!” She squeaks, “I was not!” But her bright red face says otherwise.

“No, no you totally were. That’s why you were so pissed, it was because I dated for Kyle for so long.” His grin is so wide, he feels his lip split. “ _ Oh my god,  _ and you thought I slept with him! Oh, this is awesome.”

“Jake, I was not-”

“ _ The _ Amy Santiago was jealous over me. I should get a plaque, hang it over massage chair two.” She rolls her eyes, face still red, but hiding a smile. He was quite familiar with  _ that _ look, and he loved it.

“I don’t have time for this. Keys, Peralta.” He tosses them to her, thoroughly satisfied with this conversation. She unlocks her car, but stops before she actually getting in.

“Look, Jake, don’t… don’t read too much into it, alright?” And there’s a hidden meaning in her words that he’s not sure he likes. He flashes her a bittersweet smile.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll see you later, Jelly Santigo.” She rolls her eyes again.

“Yeah,  _ later. _ ” And with that, she gets into her car and drives away, leaving Jake staring after her in the parking garage. Right now he needs some time to sort his feelings out, but as he watches her go he can’t help but smile to himself.

_ There’s always later…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!! But, I do have some things to address.
> 
> 1\. Okay so apparently, according to me, Jake only does his job when he's in denial, and it's one of his tells that he's Not Okay. Oops lmao.
> 
> 2\. I hope no one was offended by Jake's view point of his bisexuality. That's how I view it, as just something that simply is, and not some life defining trait. I go with the flow and don't see the point of coming out. I mean, if asked I'm not a bitch about it, I just don't really label it like that in my head. I more see it as going with the flow, liking who i like, and that projects onto everyday life.
> 
> 3\. Gina's not in this, but she totally knows and supports. I just didn't feel like having six characters in one scene, especially since it's only truly about a few of them. (plus I suck at writing her lol)
> 
> 4\. Okay so this took me so long for a few reason. First, I was writing a super long star wars fic, which took me a while. Then, I came back to Ramen and Romero and hated it. I didn't love it when I posted it, and then when I came back I had no idea where I was going with it and got huge writers block. And i debated what to do for a while, and then was like fuck it. I'd rather update this with something, then just leave it till I suddenly get inspiration for a pt2. I'll give Ramen and Romero a pt2 eventually, because I love prison Jake, I just don't know how soon it'll be. Hope y'all understand.
> 
> Much love,
> 
> stolirazz <3


	5. The People You Come Back To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Jake took a deep breath. This was it, his Die Hard moment. He’d rush in there, save the day, take the shooter down… This was his moment, and yet, it was with shaky hands that he answered his radio.
> 
> “46290, show me going.” With those words, he took a deep breath, flipped on the sirens and was off."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Response to catnoirsgirlfriend's prompt, 'Hello! Could you maybe do a fic or if Jake responded to the active shooting rather than Rosa? but can you make the main relationship Jake and holt rather than Jake and amy? I see a lot of Jake and amy hurt/comfort focus but not many of holt & Jake :)' And then, just a quick flex, they also said 'btw this is so good!' soooo
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

Jake took a deep breath. This was it, his Die Hard moment. He’d rush in there, save the day, take the shooter down… This was his moment, and yet, it was with shaky hands that he answered his radio.

“46290, show me going.” With those words, he took a deep breath, flipped on the sirens and was off.

~*~

“Peralta, my office.” Numbly, as he’s been since he’s returned, he untangles himself from Amy’s arms and walks into the office. Gently, Holt leads Jake to the black couch. He’s hyper aware of the stiff leather, and he flinches as the cold sofa touches bare skin. A distant part of him remarks that he’s never been on this couch, and honestly he thought it would be more comfortable. 

_ “Peralta?” _

Suddenly, there's a glass of water in his hands. He holds it in both hands, trying to stop them from shaking. As if entranced, he watches the water rhythmically move about as he fails to keep still. 

_ “Peralta, look at me.” _

Distantly, he feels a sharp pain in his chest as he stares. His vision’s blurring, and even as he forces himself to blink, it’s not getting any better. 

_ “Jake!” _

And then he’s spilling water on himself. He jumps as it breaks rhythm and takes a deep breath.  _ Is that supposed to hurt so bad? _ His chest is tight, and he feels like he’s just run a mile.  _ Had he been holding his breath? _ He doesn’t remember breathing, but he supposes he doesn’t remember  _ not _ breathing so… Usually a person doesn’t have to tell themselves to breathe unless they’re  _ dead _ .

_ “Keep breathing, just like that Jake.” _

He flinches, bodies flashing to the forefront of his mind. Shakily, he takes a sip of his water, which he totally forgot he was holding, and sighs at the feeling of it going down his throat.  _ Since when was his throat dry? _

“Jake, can you look at me?” At his name, he looks up at Holt. Right, he was in his office, on his couch. A couch, not an office building. He was safe. Everything was fine.

~*~

_ Everything will be fine, _ he promised himself as he strapped his gear on. He was no rookie, like the officer next to him, but he’s also never been in a shootout like this one. He smiled as he made eye contact with the officer, her eyes full of fear. He glanced at their guns, much bigger than the pistol he comfortably carries around, and he remembers them from the tactical village. It had been fun to play with then, but now… Now it was so much more  _ real. _

His gaze wandered to the engagement ring on his finger, and he clenched his fist. He’d be fine because he had to be. He had Amy to get back to, he had the love of his life to marry. A determined look settled on his face. He’d stop the bad guy, save the day, and make it back to Amy. 

He swore it.

~*~

“ _ Shit, _ ” Jake swore as he tried to snap back to reality. Holt was calmly breathing with him, a comforting hand on Jake’s knee, but Jake simply couldn’t get with the program. Drinking water helped, and Holt continued to encourage him to take small sips.

“Okay,” Holt started once Jake seemed to be under control of himself, “how are you feeling now?”

“Better,” Jake tried to say, but his throat was raspy and it sounded more like a dying cow. He cleared his throat and wiped his face. “Better.” Holt nodded at his firm voice, looking much more relieved. 

“Would it assist you to talk about it with me?” And Jake’s first instinct was to say no, to storm out and not come back until he could fake his emotions tomorrow. But… he looked at his shaking hands, and honestly he didn’t even think he could stand if he wanted to, and took a moment to consider it. It couldn’t hurt, right?

~*~

Twelve civilians hurt, one confirmed death, and Jake’s team had just entered the office building. There were three squads, and Jake’s was entering from the back entrance. Even from their position, the three of them could hear gunshots echoing throughout the building. He couldn’t feel the weight of his gun, the stiffness of his vest, or the forced calm breathing. He could only see the world in front of him and his finger on the trigger. In hindsight, he doesn’t think he’s ever been more focused in his life. 

Suddenly, they heard manic laughter. With all the precision of a team working together for the first time, they moved toward the entrance. The door was open and they rushed in silently. Within a split second, Jake took in the scene. The shooter was standing in the middle of the room, twelve dead civilians around him, laughing like a mad man. Blood was splattered up the walls and on the man’s face, and there were  _ bodies upon bodies _ surrounding him.

The world slowed as the shooter noticed they were there. Jake brought his gun up and fired, split seconds after the man fired towards them. The bullet hit the man directly in the chest, his eyes widening in shock as he fell to the floor. And for a naive, blissful moment, Jake assumed the bullet missed and they were all safe. But then he felt that there was something on his face, and he spun to see the third person in their group puking. And then he looked down…

And there was the nice, rookie officer’s brains leaking out the back of her head, face blown in.

And he  _ panicked. _

“Oh my god, oh my god,” he muttered as he scrambled away. Almost manicly, he wiped the brains and blood off his face, and  _ oh my god there were brains on his face _ , and then he was puking. His vision blurred as he stood back up. The smell flooded his nose and he was having trouble connecting with reality, and-

~*~

“...and it all happened so fast, sir.” Absentmindedly, he rubbed at his face where the paramedic had cleaned just an hour before. “She- She was just  _ gone. _ ” He looked up at Holt, tears in his eyes. “What about the person  _ she _ had to get back to, the people relying on her? And I was right there, but I didn’t-” He cuts himself off, wiping more tears away.

“Jake, situations like this are complicated. She knew what she signed up for, and she went into that building knowing what could happen. I am sorry you had to go through that, and the NYPD has lost a commendable office.” Holt’s voice is soft and it’s familiar cadence is comforting. “However,” Holt continues, “I will not have you leave this room thinking it was in any way your fault.” Jake bites his lip and looks away.

“Sir-”

“No. You did everything you could, and if you could’ve done anything more, you  _ would’ve _ .”

“I know,” Jake insists, but his voice is far away.

“Were you focused?” Holt asks, tone suddenly stern.

“What?”

“I said, were you focused?”

“Um, yeah. I- I was honestly more focused than I usually am.” Jake stutters out, a little confused at the change of pace in the conversation. Holt nods.

“Were you holding your gun properly? What about your gear, was it all correct?”

“Yeah, uh yeah it was.”

“Okay, then what could you have done differently?” And  _ oh. _ Jake blinks at Holt’s words, and takes a moment.  _ Nothing.  _ There’s nothing he could’ve done, and even though he’s less guilty, it’s still a depressing thought. His best wasn’t quite enough.

“You’re right, as always, sir.” And Holt smiles at him, moving his hand to Jake’s shoulder. 

“Go home, Jake,” he says softly. “You have been granted two weeks leave.”

“Yes, sir,” he replies, and gives Holt a grateful smile, the first smile that's been on his face since he responded to the call, and he leaves. 

_ He’ll be fine. He always is. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I didn't looove the ending, but it worked with the story and I think it was at least a little in character. Don't forget to drop a suggestion
> 
> <33 j_stoli
> 
> ps. why did i choose those numbers for jake's code??


	6. Little Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little moments between Jake, Rosa, and Gina.
> 
> "'Jake.' Gina interrupts sternly. She looks him dead in the eye. 'Don’t give him any excuses. I don’t care if it was the worst day ever for him, he has no excuse.'"
> 
> Enjoy <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Nadiahilkerfan's comment (who commented twice and thought I'd get mad, but omg I could never, comment as much as you want, I'm just a slow writer lol) “Something happens with Jake, Rosa and Gina defend him, Something happens with Gina, Rosa and Jake defend her, Something happens with Rosa, Gina and Jake defend her.“ and chaosdarlingchaos's comment (who's amazing and we share a brain regarding Jake) “Any more bi Jake content would be rad” It really would be rad, especially in cannon.

**1 - When we were young…**

“Oh Jakey,” Gina sighs as she pulls her concealer out of her bag. Jake looks away and plops onto the edge of Gina’s bed. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Jake tries, but his wavering voice doesn’t really sell it. Gina sighs again, gently guiding Jake’s chin so he’s facing her. She gives him a look and starts to apply the concealer. 

“It’s really not,” he continues, “and it was just unlucky timing. He was stressed today, jet lag, and I-“

“Jake.” Gina interrupts sternly. She looks him dead in the eye. “Don’t give him any excuses. I don’t care if it was the worst day ever for him, he has no excuse.”

“I-“

“No. Excuses.” There’s a pause as Gina and Jake stare at one another, Gina’s gaze full of sympathy. She pretends not to see him tear up. 

“O-okay,” he chokes out. “Okay.”

And, ever so gently, she continues to cover up the bruises adorning his face and arms. She bites her lip, a thoughtful look on her face that Jake doesn’t miss.

“What?” He asks, and Gina hesitates.

“Have- have you tried telling your mom?” Under Gina’s hands, she can feel Jake tense up.

“No. And you won’t either!” Gina puts her hands up in mock surrender. “Then she won’t let me see him, and I’m already seeing him less and less.” A pause.

“Honey… maybe you should stop seeing him.” And Gina’s voice is soft, she’s gently suggesting not commanding, but Jake jumps up nonetheless.

“Gina!”

“I mean come on Jake, look at you!” Jake’s jaw tightens.

“He’s a good dad.” She respectfully stays silent to that. Jake scoffs and starts to get up. “Look, if your objective here is to-” But Gina cuts him off.

“Jake. Sit down.” He does. “I’m going to finish up, then we’re going to watch _Saved By the Bell_ , then you’re going to leave feeling ten times better. You got it?” They smile at each other for a moment, a moment only best friends for life have.

“Yes ma’am.” Pause. “So hurry up, I wanna see me some AC Slater.” They both laugh, and for a little while, everything’s okay. Because they have one another, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

**2 - Declaw the Vulture**

_Slap._

For a moment there’s a silence, as Jake stands there, face twisted.

“Why,” he breathes out, “does he keep doing that?” And then Rosa’s off like a shot. She could blame it on the alcohol technically still flowing in her veins, but she has more pride than that. She’s making a choice here. The choice that the Vulture is going to _die._

“Hey!” She calls out, and the Vulture spins around, that stupid look still on his face. Before he has a chance to respond, Rosa snatches his arm and twists it back, right on the edge of her breaking his hand. It’s a move she knows _hurts._

“I don’t care how hot you are,” And Vulture opens his mouth to speak, probably nothing intelligent, but Rosa threateningly twisting his hand back more, stopping him. “I said what I said. You put your hands on Jake, or _anyone_ else here at the 99 again,” She twists a little harder for effect, “then you lose this hand. Got it?” He nods, but she doesn’t let up. “Got it?”

“Yes,” he chokes out, clearly in pain, “ _Goddamn_.”

“Good.” And then she pushes him away so hard, he stumbles. “Congrats on the case, have a terrible night” She adds, just to be petty. He glares at her, but she doesn't back down, so he quickly composes himself and leaves the bullpen. The sight of him running away like a scared chicken is almost enough to make Rosa smile.

“Rosa…” And that’s Jake, always acting shocked when anyone sticks up for him. “You didn’t have to-”

“Yes. I did.” Jake softens and sends her a grateful look. “Plus he sucks. I’ve wanted to do that forever now.”

**3 - Mutual Attraction**

“Jake, Jake!” Rosa whisper yells while hitting his arm.

“What?”

“Guy at the bar, seven o’clock.” And, without even trying to be discrete, he spins around and studies the gorgeous man sitting there. Rosa’s eyes widen in alarm, trying to act casual to make up for Jake’s obliviousness, while Gina unhelpfully bursts out laughing. 

“Damn.” Jake starts, turning back around. “Now _that_ is a man.” Rosa enthusiastically nods in agreement.

“Fifty bucks I can get his number.” She declares, a challenging look in her eye. Jake smirks, knocks back the rest of his drink, slams it back on the table, and narrows his eyes at her.

“You’re on.”

Rosa’s up first. She confidently strides towards the handsome man. From where they are, Jake and Gina can see Rosa try to strike up a conversation. 

Jake smirks as he sees the polite smile on the man’s face. That’s the look of an uninterested, but definitely polite, man. Rosa, the ultimate badass, doesn’t even look sad as the handsome man rejects her. 

“I’m trying to feel bad,” Jake starts as Rosa takers her seat again at their table, “but it’s not everyday I get to beat Rosa Diaz at a bet.”

“You haven’t won yet, idiot.” Jake, a smirk on his face, starts to get up when Gina comes to their table. She gives Jake a questioning look, and he tilts his head towards the direction of the man. 

“Oh damn, he’s hot.” Rosa solemnly nods her agreement at Gina’s words. “Too bad he’s married.” A pause. Both Rosa and Jake freeze, staring at Gina. They make eye contact with each other, then both glance back to the man who _does indeed_ have a wedding ring _clearly_ on his finger. 

“Oh.” Jake says dumbly as he slowly sits back down. Gina accesses both of their reactions, then bursts out laughing. 

“I’m just so awesome, I saw the wedding ring that two _highly intelligent_ detectives missed. Did you guys bet on getting his number.” They meekly nod, and Gina starts laughing again. She mimics dropping a mic, a smirk on her face, as Jake and Rosa proceed to take _generous_ sips of their drinks.

**4 - In another life…**

“In another life, we would’ve been a hot couple.” A pause.

“Agreed.” They nod at each other, then jump at the excited gasp from behind them.

“Oh my god, wait a minute!” Jake starts, his excited puppy look on his face, “ Can we please make that happen!” Gina and Rosa both roll their eyes, then at the same time, promptly cuff Jake on the back of the head.

“Alright, alright jeez. I won’t ask again,” And his words are defeated, but the goofy grin on his face says he’s never going to let this go.

Rosa just rolls her eyes fondly. She’ll have to wait till tomorrow to threaten him, she has a game night to win after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Sorry for the hiatus, school started and kicked my ass. This was supposed to be a 5+1, but with school I couldn't get it there and still post when I wanted to. This is also shorter than my usual stuff, oops. School sucks, hybrid is dumb, and you can quote me on that. (I'm a senior btw for anyone wondering lol)
> 
> <3 stoli


End file.
